NCAAF News & Notes Week 11
By Phil Steele
Georgia Tech clinched the ACC Coastal division with a 2nd straight dominating win over Duke. It was close for awhile with Duke even leading 10-0 but GT would score the final 49 points. They took over with :58 left in the half leading 21-10 and got a 32 yd TD pass with :32 left to lead 28-10. GT had a 519-281 yd edge with Duke getting 86 yards on their final 2 drives...
Texas led Baylor 40-0 at the half and QB McCoy left midway thru the 3Q. The crowd of 44,000 was among the largest ever at Baylor for a Big 12 game but half of them were in burnt orange. Trailing 7-0 BU took its opening drive 68/11pl but on 3rd & gl from the 4, was int’d in the EZ. At the half UT had a 314-37 yd edge. BU, trailing 47-0 with 7:37 left, gained 94 yds on their final 2 drives getting garbage TD’s with 5:18 and 1:40 left...
Houston did lead UCF 17-3 but CF got a 62/10pl drive for a TD with 1:18 left 1H to pull within 17-10. After UH fmbl’d at the CF15, CF drove 85/5pl and got a 41 yd TD run to take the lead, 23-17. It was 23-20 when CF drove 80/11pl for a TD with 9:03 left then after an int, got a 7/1pl run by Harvey to lead 37-20. UH took over with 6:02 left at their own 6 and drove for a TD and got the ball back with 2:33 left scoring a TD with :10 left to pull within 5 but UCF rec’d the onside kick...
Dexter McCluster rushed for 282 yds and had 324 all-purp yards. His rushing total broke the record of 242 set by Dou Innocent in 1995 and his all-purp mark topped Deuce McAllister’s 1999 record. It was also the most rushing yds given up by Tennessee with the previous high being 217 to Colorado’s Mike Pritchard in 1990 and Alabama’s Bobby Humphrey in 1996. Ole Miss only led 21-14 at the half but rolled to a 42-17 win with a 492-275 yd edge...
Maryland was without their starting QB and soph Jamarr Robinson got the start vs Virginia Tech’s blitzing defense. He missed on his first 4 passes and hit just 12 of 32 for 104 yards. At one point VT had a 273-42 yd edge and led 27-3 finishing with a 486-236 yd edge...
Illinois was without QB Juice Williams in their game vs Northwestern and Jacob Charest got his first start. The key play of the game happened late in the 1H. UI was up 3-0 when they got the ball at their own 43 with just 1:21 left. Charest threw an int on the first play and 5pl later NU got a 28 yd TD pass with :17 left in the half to lead 7-3. They took their opening 2 drives of the 3Q led by Eddie McGee while Charest sat on the bench. Charest ret’d and got a couple of TD drives but they trailed 21-16 and their final drive ended on an int at their own 35 when the Cats DB took the ball out of the hands of the receiver...
Colorado probably sealed Dan Hawkins’ fate by losing to Iowa St on Saturday. It was a tough loss. The Buffs had a 390-310 yd edge. Amazingly 4 times they got inside the 10 yd line and came away with 3 points. CU was SOD on 4th & gl at the 1 on their first attempt. On their 2nd they had a 1st & gl at the 9 but settled for a 22 yd FG. After turning the ball over on the first 2 poss of the 3Q in their own territory with one setting up ISU for a 33 yd drive for a TD, on their 3rd attempt CU had a 1st & gl at the 9. Unfortunately, frosh OL Bryce Givens was not only called for a pers foul, but argued the call and was hit with unsportsmanlike conduct moving the ball to a 1st & gl at the 39 and they missed a 42 yd FG. CU’s 4th trip inside the 10 resulted in a fmbl at the 8 so they finished with 3 points on 4 drives inside the 10 and they lost the game by 7...
South Dakota St came in ranked #12 in the FCS poll and nearly upset Minnesota giving them their 3rd straight tough game vs an FCS foe. It was Minnesota’s FHG of the season at TCF Bank Stadium. An int set UM up for a 26 yd FG and a 6-0 lead. SDSt got a 22 yd IR TD to lead 10-6 but UM got a sk & fmbl which they ret’d 3 yds for a TD to lead 13-10 at the half. SDSt missed a 49 yd FG to end the 1H. SDSt missed a 25 yd FG on their 2nd 3Q poss and settled for a 34 yd FG to tie it 13-13. UM rec’d a fmbl at the SDSt11 with 4:03 left and got a 25 yd FG to escape with a 16-13 win...
Tulane had 22-13 FD and 402-331 yd edges vs Rice. It was a tough loss for them. They led 14-0 after 1Q and cut it to 14-7 at halftime. Rice got a 70 yd TD pass on the 2nd play of the 3Q then blk’d a punt and drove 25 yds for a TD, 21-14. TU was int’d at the Rice 44 but then got the apparent game tying TD with 13:11 left but missed the xp. TU went on a 12 play drive but punted 35 yds to the 15 with 4:56 left. TU was SOD at its own 29 on 4th & 10 with 1:56 left and on 4th & 8 Rice got a 29 yd TD pass which made some of their backers very happy with :55 left, 28-20...
Syracuse had 18-11 FD and 266-151 yd edges vs Louisville. UL had a TD pass called back and settled for a 31 yd FG to tie at 3. SU fmbl’d the snap on an xp early 4Q and only led 9-3. UL had a 95 yd PR TD by Guy overturned as it was ruled he was down at his own 6 but then his 44 yd return set up UL for a 45/5pl drive and they got a TD with 1:24 left to win 10-9...
Fresno St/Nevada was closer than the final as it was 17-14 when UN got a 65 yd TD run with 2:31 left in the 1H. FSU got to the UN29 but was int’d at the 21 with :21 left and UN only had a 257-238 yd edge. UN got TD’s on their opening 2 poss, the 2nd after FSU fmbl’d at the UN42. FSU was SOD at the UN24, fmbl’d at the UN16 and was SOD at the UN11 on their next 3 drives. On those 3 tries, they had a 181-7 yd edge but did not score. UN got an 84 yd run setting up a TD then rec’d a fmbl on the KO setting up a 27 yd TD drive with FSU fmbl’ing at the UN37 on the final drive. That is why UN only had a 509-474 yd edge...
UTEP had a 627-437 yd edge vs SMU. UTEP was at the SMU10 in the 1Q when they faked a FG and were tkl’d for a 10 yd loss. UTEP was int’d at the SMU15 and settled for a 33 yd FG after a 1st & gl at the 8. They trailed 21-10 at the half. They took a 24-21 lead on their first 2 poss of the 3Q and it was 31-28 with 8:57 left. SMU got a TD with 4:34 left and UTEP went on a 13pl drive and had a FD at the 18 but on 4th & 6 were sk’d...
Memphis Coach Tommy West was let go during the week and while they lost 31-21, Memphis did have 2 tough plays go against them. At the end of a 22 yd pass which appeared to be heading for a TD, they fmbl’d into the EZ for a TB with 4:32 left 2Q. In the 3Q UM was SOD on 4th & 15 with a 14 yd run to the UAB19 but then on their next drive again appeared to be headed for a TD at the end of an 11 yd pass from the 12, they fmbl’d into the EZ for a TB for the 2nd time. Later, UM was SOD at the UAB33 (12:14 4Q) and their final drive they were SOD at their own 44 with :07 left...
USC had their worst home loss since a 51-0 defeat to Notre Dame in 1966. Toby Gerhart rushed for 178 yds. This was USC’s homecoming game and at the end the 90,071 fans were very quiet. Stanford had a 469-334 yd edge. USC pulled to 28-21 but SU went 79/9pl for a TD then got a 41 yd IR TD and went 64/6pl for another TD, 48-21. After an int, SU drove 44/7pl for a TD with 2:19 left, the most pts ever allowed by USC in the Coliseum...
LT had 15-6 and 230-138 yd edge at half. For the game LT had 24-15 FD and 321-246 yd edges but LSU turned their drives into the redzone into TD’s and came away with a 24-16 win...
Oklahoma finished with 32-13 FD and 640-226 yd edges vs Texas A&M but for 1.5Q’s the game was close. In fact the Sooners’ only led 14-10 with one of their TD’s on a 53 yd FR. On the Sooners’ first 6 poss they had 4 punts, an int and a 56 yd drive for a TD. A&M fmbl’d the punt with 10:46 left 2Q and OU got a TD. OU put together 85 and 54 yd TD drives with A&M fmbl’ing a KO setting up another OU TD and the Sooners blew it open and led 42-10 at the half. They controlled the 2H...
Washington St was without starting QB Jeff Tuel. Marshall Lobbestael threw int’s on the first 3 poss and UCLA got TD “drives” of 27 and 32 yds to lead 14-0 but the Bruins dominated with a 270-65 yd edge at the half and led 26-0. They finished with a 28-7 FD edge and 556-181 yd edge...
A look at the box score shows Idaho with 26-23 FD and 514-458 yd edges vs Boise St but they imploded with 7 TO’s and the game was clearly controlled by BSU. BSU scored TD’s on their first 5 poss, the first 2 were just 15 and 31 yd drives after TO’s and they led 35-0. BSU got a 100 yd KR TD, a 71 yd IR TD and led 63-17 on the first play of the 4Q. UI got 176 yds in the 4Q and was int at the 18, fmbl’d at the 6 and got a 52 yd TD pass with :27 left to pad the stat sheet. Brian Reader started for Enderle at QB for UI and had 5 int’s...
Taylor Potts started for Texas Tech but after 4 poss was yanked for Sheffield. Sheffield was int’d at the OKSt 2 on his first poss but TT led 10-7 at the half with a 222-95 yd edge. OSU controlled the ball for 22:00 in the 2H and rushed for 207 yds. They had a 73/19pl drive for a 26 yd FG & 66/15pl drive for a TD. Sheffield’s 6th series ended on an int (ret’d 21 yds for a TD with 8:06 left). Potts came in at QB and led TT 80/5pl for a TD (6:52) but OSU went 69/11pl and fmbl’d at the TT6 but TT’s 4th & 4 pass from the OSU49 was dropped with :16 left...
Purdue had 28-12 FD and 524-362 yd edges over Michigan St. They also led by 11 pts in the 4Q but ended up with a 40-37 loss. MSU was perfect on FG’s while PU missed a 39 yd FG and had a 50 yd’r blk’d and one of the key plays may have been the first when MSU ret’d a fmbl 15 yds for a TD.
COACHES ON THE HOTSEAT - Tom O’Brien has had 3 straight losing years at NC State although they did get to a bowl last year. There were high expectations heading into the season and they had been 7-2 in November games under O’Brien including 4-0 last year. Ignore the 26-20 FD edge they had vs Clemson. They were outgained 454-377 and trailed 24-7 at the half being outgained 258-114. CU led 43-17 when NCSt outgained them 143-8 in the final 8:42 including a garbage TD with :03 left.
KEY PLAYS AND BIG GAMES - Penn St turned the ball over 4 times in the 1H (1 fmbl’d PR) and the game was tied at 10 but the key play of the game happened when Navorro Bowman got a 73 yd IR TD in the 3Q to give Penn St the lead. PSU finished with a 373-336 yd edge but led 24-10 and IU gained 147 yds on their last 3 drives...
Vanderbilt led Kentucky 13-10 at the half and their 13 points was the most they had vs an SEC foe this year. They were held to 31 yds offense in the 2H. VU had a 178-174 yd edge at the half but UK finished with a 399-209 yd edge. The key play of the game probably came prior to the half with VU driving, they were int’d at the UK23 with :57 left on an overthrow...
Danario Alexander had a monster game vs Missouri. One of the key plays happened when KSU’s WR Banks stretched out for the EZ but fmbl’d and it went for a TB. Missouri threw a jump pass which Alexander outjumped the DB at the 5 for a 54 yd TD then got a 16 yd TD with just :19 left in the half to make it 17-6. KSU settled for a pair of short FG’s to open the 3Q but then Gabbert hit Alexander with a short pass at the 32 and he made a move and ran untouched for a 68 yd TD. It was MO’s first 2H TD in a Big 12 game this year and completely changed the momentum taking a 17-12 game and breaking it open to 24-12. KSU fmbl’d at the MO39 and was int’d at the MO25 and SOD at the MO3 on their final 3 poss...
The key to the Miami/N Carolina game was that NC had 77 and 90 yd def returns for TD’s. Jacory Harris had a career high 4 int’s and Kendric Burney was the first NC player to have 3 int’s in a game since Dre Bly back in 1996. He also set the ACC single game record with 170 IR yards. Miami had 24-17 FD and 435-229 yd edges but Burney had a 77 yd IR TD and then picked off a pass at the 10. He appeared to lateral forward midway through the return and it was scooped up and ret’d an additional 44 yards for a TD. Replay showed that he fmbl’d forward so they were awarded the TD for a basically two 14 pt swings in the game allowing NC to win by 9...
Iowa had to start James Vandenberg, a rFr in his first road start. Vandenberg surprisingly hit 20-33-233 yds. A key play happened on UI’s opening 3Q drive when they got a 57 yd pass for a FD at the 7 but settled for a 22 yd FG and missed it. Ohio St got a 50 yd TD run to lead 24-10 but UI got a 99 yd KR TD. OSU missed a 47 yd FG and IU got the tying TD with 2:42 left to force OT. On 3rd & 16 Vandenberg was sk’d and on 4th & 26 they were int’d in the EZ. OSU gained 3 yds and got a 39 yd FG for the win.